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WILLIAM H. KINSMAN, 

First lieutenant and caiitain of Co. B, Fourtli Iowa Infantry, aud lieutenant-colonel 

and colonel of tlie Twenty-tliird Iowa Infantry, who was killed at the 

battle of Black River Hridtre, Mississippi, May 17, l^H:j. 



Annals of Iowa. 



Vol. V, No. 4. Des Moines, Iowa, Januaby, 1902. 3d Sebieb. 



COLONEL WILLIAM H. KINSMAN. 



BY GENERAL GEENVILLE M. DODGE. 

r ,■■„, I r , 

William H. Kinsman was born in Nova Scotia, Kings 
County, in tlie town of Cornwallis, in ISS-t. His father was 
Theodorus Kinsman, a small farmer, and his mother the 
daughter of an old sea captain. Young Kinsman went to sea, 
shipping as cabin boy at the age of 15. He remained at sea 
for over four years, saving his money. Soon after his re- 
turn home he came to Columbia County, N. Y., where he at- 
tended an academy for two years, and then went to Cleve- 
land, Ohio, where he engaged in writing local editorials for 
a newspaper, attending a law school during the time he re- 
mained in that city, in which he took a full course of lec- 
tures. In the spring of 1858 he entered the law office of 
Clinton & Baldwin, Council Bluffs, to complete his studies. 
On the motion of Judge Baldwin he was admitted to practice 
at the October term, 1858. 

In 1859 he caught the gold fever, and took his knapsack 
and all the rations he could carry, and tramped from Coun- 
cil Bluffs to Pike's Peak, some six hundred or more miles, 
where he engaged in any kind of labor he could find to do. 
He located a placer mine, which he worked for a short time. 
During his tramp to and stay in Colorado, he corresponded 
with Tlie Council Bluffs Nonpareil, writing very sensible, 
practical letters, under the nom de 2^lume oi "Jack Taffrail". 
In the winter of 1859 he returned to Council Bluffs, and 
taught a short term of school in that city. He then vis- 
ited Washington City as the correspondent of sundry news- 

VoL. v.— 16. 241 



tl-50' 



242 ANNALS OF IOWA. 



papers, but remained only a few months. Returning to Coun- 
cil Bluffs, he formed a co-partnership with the Hon. D. C. 
Bloomer. In July, 1800, he commenced the practice of his 
profession. 

I first became acquainted with Kinsman when he entered 
the law office of Clinton & Baldwin. I soon discovered he was 
a young man of energy, intelligence and great ambition, and 
that he took a lively part in political and all other matters 
that interested the city and State. I induced him to join the 
Council Bluffs Guards, which he entered as a private, taking 
a great interest in the Company. His stay with them, of 
course, was short, but as soon as he returned to Council 
Bluffs in 1800 he again joined, and, if I recollect rightly, 
■was made second lieutenant. It was uphill work maintaining 
an independent military company of fifty or more members 
in a small town, without any aid from the State, or local en- 
couragement whatever. The company was kept alive through 
patriotism and the desire of those who belonged to it to be- 
come drilled and efficient soldiers. It took a good deal of 
urging to get many young men to join the company, as they 
had to furnish their own uniforms, which many of them could 
not afford to do, and many of the older citizens, instead of 
encouraging, opposed it. It was the only company in the 
western part of the State. Perhaps there was one, certainly 
not more than two, in the eastern part of the State. The ef- 
fort was looked upon as foolish, and it was difficult to raise 
funds necessary to maintain the company. Kinsman, in his 
enthusiasm, induced many to join it. 

In the political campaign of 1800 Kinsman was also very 
active. It fell to my lot to take part in the thorough organ- 
ization of the Republican side of politics on the Missouri 
slope. The party there was unorganized; in fact, a Repub- 
lican was looked upon rather as an outlaw than a citizen, as 
that portion of Iowa was settled mostly from the south and 
by the Mormons. The Baldwins, Mr. Bloomer, Kinsman and 
other prominent citizens, took an active part in the cam- 



COLONEL WILLL\M H, KINSMAN. 243 

paign, thus giving us a creditable standing. Kinsman was 
very aggressive and got into personal conflicts, saying things 
that brought upon him considerable criticism. He was abso- 
lutely devoted to me, and ready to do anything I asked him, 
no matter what the result might be, or the consequences to 
himself, and I therefore became very much attached to him be- 
fore the war. 

In 1861, as soon as it became evident that the South 
would secede, I called the Council Bluffs Guards together, 
and informed them that in case of war I proposed to take 
part, and that I thought it was our duty to make known our 
decision in the matter, also to offer our services to the Gov- 
ernor. Kinsman very eloquently seconded my little talk, be- 
ing aggressive and determined, and absolutely demanding of 
every loyal person present that he take up arms for his gov- 
ernment. When the vote was taken the entire company au- 
thorized me to offer their services to the Governor, and I 
think Kinsman was about the happiest man at their action that 
I ever met. This, I think, was the first company offered to 
the Governor, although it is possible that one in the eastern 
part of the State was offered first. The records show that 
the Governor declined to accept us, stating that as it was the 
only company in western Iowa, and located near two fron- 
tiers, Missouri on the south and the Indians on the north and 
west, he felt that the settlers there needed its protection. 
The action of the Governor induced me to offer my services 
personally to the United States government, being determ- 
ined to enter the service. Learning this the Governor placed 
me on his staff, and sent me on special duty to Washington 
and other places. When I left the Bluffs I promised the 
company, especially Kinsman, that I would use all my en- 
deavors to have it accepted as part of one of the regiments 
being raised in the State. As soon as I was made Colonel, 
and authorized to raise the 4th Iowa, I immediately notified 
Lieuts. Craig and Kinsman, and gave them authority to fill out 
the roll for Company B and recruit it to its full strength. In a 



244 ANNALS OF IOWA. 

short time I heard that they had it full, and when I returned 
to the BlufiPs the company was ready to be mustered in. Kins- 
man was mustered with his company ( B ) as second lieutenant, 
but soon rose to become its captain, the first lieutenant, P. A. 
Wheeler having been made regimental quartermaster, and 
Captain S. H. Craig, on account of physical disability, hav- 
ing been compelled to resign. Kinsman was promoted to the 
captaincy October 10, 1861, at Rolla, Missouri. He was a 
very efficient officer, very sanguine, and rather restive under 
strict discipline. He thought if a soldier could shoulder a 
musket and shoot it, that was about all that should be re- 
quired of him. He had not then learned what was necessary 
to prepare a man for battle, and he felt that my severe drill- 
ing and disciplining of the regiment was uncalled for, as did 
most of the regiment; but none of the men ever protested 
openly. Kinsman, who probably was as near or nearer to me 
than any other man in the regiment, often talked to me about 
it, and alwa} s arrived at the conclusion that I must be right,^ 
but still he could not understand the necessity. He 
moved along in the campaign from Holla to Pea Ridge, doing 
his full duty, and always anxious to aid me. I could call upon 
him for any work, whether it was that of a soldier, clerk or 
correspondent, and I think he watched me more carefully 
and took more interest in me than I did in myself. He 
could not well stand the slow movements of Fremont, or the 
great delay in obtaining the proper equipment, clothing, etc., 
for the regiment. He wanted to take the short road to every- 
thing, which, of course, would have been the long one. In 
the preliminary fights on our march south, up to the great bat- 
tle of Pea Ridge, I noticed that he was very active, very 
anxious to get to the front, and that the sound of a cannon 
or a gun stirred him immediately. 

During all this time he kept in correspondence with the 
home local paper, The Council Bluffs Nonpareil, giving 
every movement, every detail and every item that would be 
of interest to the people at home. He was especially sympa- 



COLONEL WILLIAM H. KINSMAN. 245 

thetic over the great amount of sickness and the many 
deaths that occurred in the regiment at Rolla. The 4th Iowa 
was mostly made up of country boys, and they had almost 
every known disease while in camp that winter at Rolla. At 
one time nearly half the regiment was down. 

At the battle of Pea Ridge I was instructed to make a de- 
tail of three companies to hold the extreme left of Col. Carr'a 
division, which was the Pea Ridge mountain. This ridge 
divided Gen. Curtis' army, Col. Carr's division occupying 
ground to the east and north of the mountain and facing Gen. 
Price's army — Gen. Davis with his division occupying the west 
and south sides of the mountain, fronting Gen. Van Dorn. This 
mountain made a division of Van Dorn's army, and he made 
a fatal mistake in dividing his force and sending part under 
Price to attack our rear, giving us the short interior line, while 
his line was so long and his divisions so far apart that he could 
not reinforce either division of his army by details from an- 
other. They were not in close touch throughout the battle. 
Van Dorn's army was fully double that of Curtis, and if he 
had attacked with his whole force from the west, there is no 
doubt that we would have had a much harder struggle and 
probably a diflPerent result. As that detail was to be away 
from me, out of my reach, and it was necessary to depend 
upon the judgment of the officer commanding, I selected 
Capt. Kinsman with his own company and two companies of 
the 24th Missouri. Kinsman in his report says that his com- 
mand was stretched out across the south end of the mountain 
as skirmishers, and the enemy thought they were a whole 
regiment, and when opposed they were opposed only by skir- 
mishers. They held their position throughout the first day 
and had only one man wounded. Going over their front the 
next day he found eleven dead, shot with musket balls. 
There were some Indians with the enemy who shot arrows. 
Like all the rest of the officers and men of the 4th, he had 
no sleep for the two nights. I find in my official report the 
following on his action that day: 



24:6 ANNALS OF IOWA. 

Company B, under Capt. Kinsman, with two companies of the 24th 
Missouri, were on the 7th ordered to the extreme left of the division, to 
hold our left flank and check the enemy upon the high hill — Pea Ridge. 
He did this very eifectively that day and rendered very efficient service. 

He joined the regiment again about 5 o'clock that even- 
ing and took part in the final charge that day ordered by 
Gen. Curtis in person. Gen. Curtis speaks of this charge as 
follows : 

As I came up the 4th Iowa was falling back for cartridges, in line, dress- 
ing on their colors, in perfect order. Supposing with my reinforcements 
I could entirely regain our lost ground, 1 ordered the regiment to halt and 
face about. Col. Dodge came up, explaining the want of cartridges, and 
informed of my purpose, he ordered a bayonet charge, and they moved 
again with steady nerve to their former position, where the gallant 9th was 
ready to support them. Thet^e two regiments won imperishable fame. 

The 4:th Iowa had held its position all day, but the 2d 
brigade posted at Elkhorn tavern had been driven back early 
in the afternoon leaving my brigade unsupported on either 
flank, and the enemy had passed clear around me and into 
my rear, and I did not discover it until out of ammunition,. 
My adjutant, Gen. James A. Williamson, in going for am- 
munition ran into a rebel regiment in my rear, where the 1st 
brigade had been posted. This, of course, forced me to with- 
draw my brigade and join our line in our rear, and it was 
while on this movement that I met Gen. Curtis, and the action 
described in his report took place. The regiment heard the 
conversation between Gen. Curtis and myself, and when I 
gave the order they started as one man, cheering, and re- 
gained our former position, but the enemy had retired from 
the field in our front. 

After this battle Capt. Kinsman came to me and called 
my attention to the fact that the regiment next morning was 
intact, with not a man missing except its killed and wounded, 
and in a very friendly and complimentary way said that he now 
appreciated all the work they had had to do in the past year, 
and what it meant. In fact the whole 4th Iowa learned then the 
value of discipline and drill. They saw other regiments, 
when they lost their officers, melt away, but the 4th Iowa, with 



COLONEL WILLIAM H, KINSMAN. 247 

not a field officer left, never had a straggler. As I left the regi- 
ment Boon after the battle of Pea Ridge, I had no further per- 
sonal contact with Kinsman, though he kept up an occasional 
correspondence with me, showing a great regard for and inter- 
est in me until his death. Soon after I left the regiment, upon 
my application, he was made an Assistant Adjutant General, 
it being my intention to place him on my staff, but he declined 
this, and December 1, 1862, accepted a commission as Lieut. - 
Colonel of the 23d Iowa Infantry. I have no personal knowl- 
edge of his services in that regiment, except as gathered from 
his letters. He unfortunately had a difference with his brigade 
commander. Gen. Davidson, when they were in Missouri. It- 
came from his allowing his men to forage when they had been 
without rations for several days on the march to West Plains, 
Mo. In February, 1863, he was summoned before a court 
martial, which convened in St. Louis in March, and did not 
return to his regiment for duty until after it had reached 
Raymond on the march to Jackson. This was a great disap- 
pointment and regret, and he felt it very keenly, and it no 
doubt was the cause of his determination, when he rejoined 
the regiment, to atone for it by his daring and bravery, as 
shown in the battles that followed. Concerning his services 
with the 23d regiment, I take the liberty of quoting a letter 
from a chum of his before the war, who was a school teacher, 
correspondent and lawyer, like himself, and who was his com- 
rade in the 23d, and whose brother was a member of Capt. 
Kinsman's company, B, 4th Iowa — Lieut. J. A. Straight. He 
writes: 

On the death of Col. Wm. Dewey in December, 1862, Lieut.-Col. Kins- 
man was promoted to the colonelcy, and became the idol of the regiment. 
He never had an enemy in the organization. A most thorough disciplin- 
arian, and a hale and hearty friend to every soldier, he, of course, was pop- 
ular. He always led his boys — never followed. In a long and exceedingly 
hard marching campaign in Missouri, in the winter of 18G2-3, owing to the 
distance from supplies and no forage or supplies in the sparsely settled 
country, the regiment was on slim rations for over two weeks, and reduced 
to parched corn for two or three days. Some of the Co. E boys discovered 
some hogs near camp and they were captured, also a very poor cow, which 



248 ANNALS OF IOWA. 

went into the camp kettles. Gen. Davidson sent for Col. Kinsman and 
said some very wrathy things about his Iowa boys, and their jayhawking 
-ways, which Kinsman resented with such fervor that Gen. Davidson ordered 
him under arrest, and on the return of the command to Arcadia, Mo., he 
was called before a court martial at St. Louis in March, and after a drag- 
ging trial of two weeks or longer he was restored to duty, the sentence, 
as I now recollect, being a reprimand by Gen. Curtis for conduct unbecom- 
ing a subordinate officer. The regiment had gone down to Vicksburg, and 
Col. Kinsman rejoined it while on the march from Bruinsburg, Miss., to 
Jackson, the first week in May, 1863, near the battlefield of Port Gibson, 
in which his regiment had taken a prominent part. He marched with the 
•regiment through mud and slush to Jackson, commanded it at Champion 
-Hill, where they captured many prisoners by a succession of charges 
under heavy artillery fire, and double-quicked from Champion Hill battle- 
ground to Edwards' Station, where we bivouacked the night of May 16 
1863. 

That night, while the dashing rain was drenching us to the skin, and 
we huddled close together, we talked long after the middle of the night, 
and he said, "I have orders to march at daylight and attack the enemy 
(Johnnies) whenever and wherever we find them. I may be killed but if I 
live and the 23d will follow me, and I know it will, we will show the people 
at home (in Iowa) that it is one of the best and bravest regiments that ever 
left the State, and I shall wear a star. But something tells me that I shall 
be severely wounded, and I want you, if I should be, to see that my sword 
and watch and other things are sent to Mr. Bloomer, who will know what 
to do with them;" and while resting next morning under the river bank, 
to which point he had been ordered by Gen. Lawler, brigade commander, 
he again said to me: "I expect to be shot down right up on this bank," 
pointing behind him to the high bank which sheltered us, but added in a 
tone of voice heard for several feet around us, "but the 23d will get there 
just the same— don't stop for the dead and wounded; you must take those 
breastworks." The 23d was lying with bayonets fixed, and loaded guns, 
stripped to the lightest running weight, under the bank of Black River, 
which at that point coursed east and west. Company A was on the right 
wing, and had orders, at a given signal, to mount the bank without fii-rng 
a gun and double-quick across an open cotton-field to a point in the breast- 
works about 500 yards distant, where a bayou some 20 yards wide passed 
through the line of rifle-pits. This subjected the regiment to a flank and 
enfilading fire from Generals French andBowen's Missouri divisions, which 
occupied the line of field works on our right flank. From the time we 
mounted the bank we were subjected to a murderous fire from G,000 vet- 
eran Missouri and Arkansas troops, and the artillery fire of 12 guns in our 
front supported by two brigades of Tennesseeans and Alabamians. The 
■order of Col. Kinsman was by signal (removing his hat), and he was strip- 
ped of everything except his sword-belt and revolver, ready to mount the 
bank, which was a perpendicular rise of four to five feet, and when the 
^order from Gen. Lawler came, without a moment's hesitation he raised his 



COLONEL WILLIAM H. KINSMAN. 249 

hat and was the first man to mount the bank, the balance of his regiment 
following an instant later. There was no noise or confusion; every man 
knew what was expected of him, and not an order was issued. The regi- 
ment formed a passable line and moved oS on a double-quick without fir- 
ing a gun. The first volley fired from the works on our right found Col. 
Kinsman about 30 feet from the top of the bank. He had turned around 
facing the regiment as he was aligning it by motions, and urging it for- 
ward, and he was struck with a minie ball in the left side, piercing the 
sword-belt, near the center of the belt, and fell, turning completely 
around. I stopped by him a minute or less, gave him a canteen 
of coffee, and some cotton to staunch his wound, and left him 
lying in a cotton row, which was a slight protection from the 
bullets of the enemy, but he impatiently ordered me to leave him 
and go to the regiment. I overtook the regiment as it was wading across 
the bayou, running over ground strewn with the wounded and dead of my 
regiment. As we were firing our first volley into the enemy after gaining 
the rifle pits. Col. Kinsman came rushing by us, shouting, "Give 'em hell, 
boys!" waving his naked sword and looking very pale, as if he were mak- 
ing a death struggle with his wound. The enemy was retreating pellmell 
in great disorder, and the very last volley I can remember as fired by them 
in our direction caught our colonel once more while he was shouting on 
the top of the enemy's rifle pits — this time on the right side and about two ■ 
inches higher than the first shot, both shots having passed through his 
body and out. He fell upon the enemy's breast-works, and as they had 
ceased firing and were surrendering to our forces all along the line, and the 
balance of our division were passing over the breast-works to cut off the 
retreat across the river, several of the slightly wounded members of the 
23d gathered around him. He was tenderly borne to the shade of a tree 
close by until stretchers could be procured, when he was carried to the hos- 
pital tent near the railroad track in the rear of Gen. Hovey's division. He 
was shot the second time about 11 a. m. and it was between 12 and 1 p. m. 
when he was examined by the surgeons at the hospital tent or tree, and 
during this time he shook hands with the boys as they came to see him, 
asking after the wounded, and when told of Sutler John Lyon having 
been killed, he said, "I am so sorry; I told him not to go with the boys, 
but he was a brave man and would go." When the surgeons told him he 
had only a slim chance to live, he said, "I'll take that chance, as I don't 
want to leave my brave boys," and then added, "didn't they surprise the 
Johnny-rebs? and didn't you see them run up the cotton-batting on their 
bayonets?" and thus he talked at times as the pain increased. Finally, 
about midnight the 17th of May, he began to grow worse, and about 10 a. 
M. next day passed away. He asked us to bury him under the live oak tree, 
where he was lying on a cot under a tent-fly, and on the evening of the 18th 
of May, 1863, about sundown, with a few of his nearest friends present, he 
was laid away to his final rest, within about 100 feet of the railroad track. 
Gen. McClernand, commander of the 13th Army Corps, said in his re- 



250 ANNALS or IOWA. 

port of the battle: "Among the killed is Col. Kinsman, 23d Iowa, who fell 
mortally wounded while leading his regiment upon the enemy's works." 
Gen. Carr, commanding the 4th division of the corps, and an eye-witness, 
said: "A murderous cross-fire was opened on our men as they moved for- 
ward on the run. It was here that the gallant Kinsman of the 23d Iowa 
lost his life. He received a fatal wound in the abdomen, but still kept on, 
until another through his chest brought him to the ground." 

His last words, as I now remember them, were: "Tell the boys I died 
happy. I fell at the head of my regiment, doing my duty. Bury me here 
on the field of my last battle." 

Kinsman's comrades of the 4th and 23d Iowa, and his 
friends in Council Bluffs, were very desirous that his remains 
should be brought back to his home in Iowa, and considera- 
ble correspondence occurred. The difficulty seemed to be to 
find some one who knew and could designate the spot where 
he was buried. Finally, in the spring of 1884, Lt. N. E. Ride- 
nour, of the 23d, editor of The Page County Democrat, who^ 
had taken great personal interest in the matter, and who had 
appealed to the State legislature in that behalf, but they not 
acting, he, together with the Rev. A. G. Barton, went to the 
Black River Bayou battle-ground, east of Vicksburg, with 
the view of bringing back to Iowa Col. Kinsman's remains; but 
the changes in the country since the war made it impossible 
to locate it. They returned greatly disappointed, and their 
disappointment was shared by all of Kinsman's friends who 
had looked forward confidentlj'^ to their bringing his remains 
with them. Lieut. Straight in his letter to me says he thinks 
he can find the grave, and during the comirjg autumn I shall 
try to have one more effort made to bring his remains to 
Iowa to be buried at his home with his comrades, where he 
can be properly honored, and the memory of his deeds per- - 
petuated. 



Note. — We copy Gen. Dodge's statement of the finding of Col. Kins- 
man's remains, with his announcement of the reburial, to take place May 
17, 1902, and his appeal to old comrades-in-arms for funds with which tO' 
erect a monument, on a subsequent page. — Editok of The Annals. 



ANNALS OF IOWA. 



EDITORIAL DEP^ARTMENT. 



COLONEL KINSMAN. 



Since the civil war few men of his rank have been so well 
remembered in this State as Colonel William H. Kinsman. 
True, he was a brave, impulsive and most efficient soldier, 
who was killed in battle; but this might be said of many oth- 
ers who were quite his equals, but of whom the general re- 
collection is growing dim with the flight of years. His name 
has lived while "the mould is gathering upon the memories" 
of so many others. In addition, however, to his high, manly, 
and soldierly qualities, he was most fortunate in other re- 
spects. He was the idol of two famous regiments, the Fourth 
and the Twenty-third Infantry, the survivors of which may 
be found in many Iowa counties, and an officer whose char- 
acteristics gave him a warm place in the affections of his men. 
He stood high in the regard, of Gen. G. M. Dodge, with 
whom he was upon terms of close friendship in private life 
before the war. The friendship of Gen. Dodge greatly aided 
Kinsman in the early days of his military service, though he 
possessed the elements which make up the dashing soldier. 
He would have won higher promotion had his life been spared. 

In the pages of this number of The Annals Gen. Dodge 
gives to history his recollections of his friend and fellow sol- 
dier, paying a generous tribute to his many high qualities. 
This article was written nearly a year ago, long before the 
recovery of Col. Kinsman's remains. Gen. Dodge sometime 
since determined that the remains of the gallant soldier should 
be brought home to Council Bluffs for final burial, with 
such honors as people so spontaneously pay to the illustrious 
dead. Two expeditions were set on foot by him and carried 
through at his expense. The last was successful and the 

307 



308 ANNALS OF IOWA. 

grave was located by men who had helped burj^ the soldier, 
and his remains were sent home. Upon their receipt at 
Council Bluffs, Gen. Dodge published the following open 
letter to his old comrades in arms. It explains itself: 

TO MY COMRADES. 

Council Bluffs, Iowa, Nov. 26, 1901. 
To My Comrades of the Fourth and Twenty -third Iowa Infantry: 

The remains of W. H. Kinsman of Council Bluffs, Iowa, who was a lieu- 
tenant and captain in Company B, Fourth Iowa Infantry, and lieutenant- 
colonel and colonel of the Twenty-third Iowa Infantry, have been recov- 
ered by Lieut. J. A. Straight and Jesse Truitt of the Twenty-third Iowa, 
and are now deposited in a vault in Fairview cemetery in this city. 

It is intended to erect a suitable monument to his memory, and it is my 
wish that every living comrade of the two regiments in which he so gal- 
lantly served, should have an opportunity to aid in the erection of the mon- 
ument, no matter how small the amount. The names of every one of you 
should appear in honoring the memory of your comrade and commander, 
and you should also be present at the unveiling of the monument, May 17, 
1902. 

As the contract for the monument must be made immediately, in order 
to have it completed in time, your donation should be prompt and for- 
warded to E. J. Abbott, adjutant, Abe Lincoln Post, G. A. R., Council Bluffs, 
Iowa. The comrades who see this are requested to inform all comrades of 
their acquaintance in either regiment. Gbenville M. Dodge. 

The Annals of July next will no doubt present some ac- 
count of the final tribute to the memory of Col. Kinsman, in- 
cluding the dedication of the monument, to pay for which 
his old comrades in arms are now sending in their contribu- 
tions. 

After the foregoing article was prepared, we received 
from Gen. G. M. Dodge, copied by a friend, the following 
item from the genealogical record of the Kinsman family: 

William Henry, son of Theodorus Kinsman, born July 11,1832, graduat- 
ed from Claverack Academy in Claverack, Columbia county, N. Y., about 
1857^studied law. When the war broke out joined the army, rose to the 
rank of colonel of the Twenty-third Iowa Infanti-y, and fell in battle near 
Vicksburg, Miss., May 17, 1863, in Grant's army. 



JUSTICE TO MR. COFFIN. 



We believe it must be known to every intelligent reader that 
the movement to require the railroad companies throughout 
the United States to furnish their cars with safety appliances 
to prevent the maiming and killing of their brakemen, origin- 



EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT. 309 

ated with Hon. Lorenzo S. Coffin of "Webster county, Iowa. 
"We mention this matter just now for the purpose of stating 
that other parties are claiming the credit of this great under- 
taking. This is not to be wondered at, for it is seldom, in- 
deed, that any genuine reform comes to its fruition without 
a like result. There are always "claimants" of the credit of 
every good work, whether it be the writing of an immortal 
poem or the initiation of a great measure of reform. Mr. 
Coffin, the pioneer in this movement, seems unlikely to es- 
cape the common fate of all true reformers. But hundreds, if 
not thousands, of the people of this and other states, are still 
living to testify to his earnest and self-sacrificing work 
from the very start, in securing the adoption of this life- 
saving law. How he presented it to the Iowa and other 
state legislatures, and to the congress of the United States, 
is yet within the public memory. He had to meet and over- 
come a thousand objections, all of which were less than fan- 
ciful when weighed in the scale against human lives. Aside 
from all this he was stigmatized as a "crank," "a half crazy 
enthusiast," with divers other choice epithets from the same 
general category of denunciation. But he steadfastly perse- 
vered, braving and surmounting every obstacle, laboring with 
law-makers everywhere, discussing the measure on the ros- 
trum and in the newspapers, until he won a success which 
has made his name illustrious. And now, various men here 
and there, are claiming that they initiated the movement. 
"We have written these lines in justice to Mr. Coffin, with 
whom the writer has had a personal acquaintance of more 
than forty years, and with an earnest wish to aid in giving a 
good man the permanent credit so justly his due. It is to be 
hoped that he will write a history of the measure and tell the 
coming generations how it came to its abiding-place in the 
general legislation of the country. 

No sooner had Mr. Coffin secured the adoption of appli- 
ances for saving the lives of railroad employes than he pro- 
jected another enterprise which must also appeal to the sym- 



310 ANNALS OF IOWA. 

pathies of all humane and Christian people. This is a 
home — consisting of a beautiful 80-acre farm and comforta- 
ble buildings — for discharged convicts from our penitentia- 
ries, a temporary resting-place, where they can safely abide 
until permanent employment can be secured for them. A 
condition can scarcely be imagined more forlorn than that of a 
convict during the first few weeks succeeding his discharge 
from a term of imprisonment. He is an object of universal 
distrust, and it is little wonder that so many of them, failing 
to obtain employment, keep on the down grade and again 
bring up in the penitentiary. Mr. Coffin's plan contemplates 
welcoming them to this pleasant home, where light employ- 
ment can be had, and where, under the influence of Christian 
teaching they can be aided and encouraged to lead better 
lives — in short, "to be saved to themselves and the State." 
At this writing the building is enclosed and on the way to 
completion. It will doubtless be ready for its good work 
early in the spring. There are many details relating to this 
undertaking, which we have no space to recount, but it is so 
far advanced that its success is assured. In fact, Mr. Coffin 
never takes a backward step in any good work. We under- 
stand that many convicts in our penitentiaries, whose terms 
will expire the present year, are already looking ahead with 
high hopes of finding a resting-place and encouragement un- 
til they can make a new start in life from the home so wisely and 
generously provided for them by Mr. Coffin. This place of 
rest is near his own home — in fact, a part of his celebrated 
Willow-Edge Farm. 



CHARACTERISTIC LETTER BY GOV. KIRKWOOD. 



The original copy of the following letter was recently 
presented to the State Historical Department by Mr. H. W. 
Lathrop, author of the "Life and Times" of our late War 
Governor. It has been published heretofore, and possibly 



H104 80 I 

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